Offbeat's Beat
by DesertCat87
Summary: (G1) Offbeat, Jazz's creation son, is growing up and trying to do that in the Ark isn't always easy...


Offbeat's Beat

Author's Note: To make a long story short, know that Offbeat is the son/creation or Jazz and Jynx. Forte is the son/creation of Rhythm and Wave Chaser. I do not own Jazz or any of the Transformers. I do co-own Jynx, Forte, Offbeat, Rhythm and Wave Chaser with another author named Lady Jet2. I think that's all you need to know so on with the story!

The Lion's Pit

Chapter 1

"I told you this was the wrong way." Forte whispered at Offbeat's back.

"Well, if there was better lighting in this air duct..."

"Funny how they never thing to put lights in an air duct!" Forte rolled his optics at his cousin, "You'd better hope you don't-"

"We."

"Fine. WE aren't caught up here or Rhythm and Jazz will have our afts!"

Offbeat looked over his shoulder, " Why do you call your creator by his name? Why not just say Dad? It's shorter and takes less time to say it."

Forte crawled along behind in the tight-fitting duct as carefully as he could, trying not to put any more dents than was already there from the many trips back and forth. "Dad is a just a human term and besides you're the weird one for calling Jazz that. Calling your creator 'Dad' isn't something Cybertronians do, or at least that's what Rhythm says."

"And this coming from the guy that thought Cybertronians-" Offbeat snickered.

Forte cut him off, "Nothing was ever proven! Besides, the only reason you do call him that is because he's an earth culture junkie and he told you to call him 'Dad'"

The black and white mech chuckled, "Uh huh. Say whatcha wanna now, Forte. I know where you recharge." Offbeat stopped suddenly having reached the same spot that always caused them trouble. It was Prowl's office.

Oh sure, Prowl wasn't a bad mech but for some reason he always caught them in the ducts. In fact, he caught them almost every time Offbeat tried to pull a stunt. Now the challenge was to make it across the 'Lions Pit' as Offbeat called it, and make it to their goal; the energon supply room.

Offbeat signaled to Forte to be quiet and proceeded to make his way creeping along the duct. The steel beneath them groaned under their weight as their hands and knees scraped gently against it. A little a head of him he could see the half way line he had scratched into the metal so he'd know how far he had till he was across the pit.

Prowl, on the other hand, looked up from his pile or reports that had yet to be filled out and looked up at the duct. They were at it again and Prowl new that plating had seen too many hands and knees in the last few months. Without a word he calmly pushed away from the desk and his reports.

The duct groaned in an effort to support the weight but the two young mechs were too much. With a loud thud, both teenage mechs tumbled in the air and onto Prowl's desk. Their impact echoed and pieces of the roof drifted onto the two mech's heads.

Prowl had become quite used to Offbeat's and Forte's misadventures around the Ark. It still amazed Prowl that they had yet to figure out that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had tried the same stunt years before either of them were created. He was going to have to call Hoist down to replace the duct for the third time.

Offbeat dusted off his helm and looked at the placid face, putting his chin on his palm, "I got a funny story for you, Prowl. See..."

"If I didn't know for a fact you were Jazz's creation, I'd swear you were Sideswipe's." Prowl grabbed the disks under Offbeat's elbow. " I have a meeting with Prime. I expect this to be clean when I get back," with that Prowl left.

Forte spat out the dust in his mouth and got off the desk. "Ya know...I think he's finally...gotten usta us," He said between coughs.

"Yeah, took a few years but at least now he can predict us." Offbeat rolled off the desk and looked up at the impressive hole they had made. "This could take a while."

Forte bent over and started to pick up the data pads and put them on a nearby shelf while Offbeat threw himself in Prowl's chair and rummaged around Prowl's desk. "Data pad…data pad…map…calculator-ery thing…" Offbeat slammed the desk shut. "Doesn't Prowl have anything interesting around here?"

"Your definition of interesting is different than Prowl's I'd guess." Forte picked up the scraps of metal on the floor, "I'd stay out of his stuff too, if you knew what was good for you."

Offbeat shrugged, "What's good for me isn't always what's fun for me."

Forte shook his head and went back to cleaning. He had known Offbeat since he was created…which was only a few months after Offbeat had been created… yet he still didn't understand him. Offbeat was much like Jazz was when he was younger, or so Rhythm had said so, but Offbeat was the opposite of Forte. Offbeat loved to throw himself out in the middle of the crowd to get all the attention, or just sit by himself listening to his music. Sometimes, Offbeat would argue with Jynx to go out and fight yet he hated the war. Offbeat was many extremes all rolled up in one and just slightly offbeat of everyone else.

The other thing one had to know about Offbeat was that he was in a word, rebellious. Everyone else in the Ark had a role to play and a place to be. Offbeat did what he wanted when he wanted and never listened to either of his creators when it came to orders. Most of the other Autobots had just come to grips with the fact that Offbeat was just Offbeat and no one could change spirited mech.

"Hey Boys!" Forte and Offbeat's communicators went off startling Forte out of his thoughts, "Prowl just told me about your little adventure for the day and well Mom wants a word with ya 'Beat and same for you Forte. Rhythm's waiting for ya. 'Beat, meet me and your mom in the intel room. Sorry 'Beat but Prowl told her first this time."

"She'll cool off soon. Be down in a sec, Dad" Offbeat called back to Jazz and got up. "Time to face the music. What should we blame this one on? Retro-Rats?"

"I don't think they'll buy it. Truth this time."

"The truth ain't any fun though That's what gets me in trouble."


End file.
